Idea: For a (totally subjective) way of measuring things we could convert assignments into music and then play it. This removes the meaning of the words but gives each piece an individuality. Put a poll on the music. The most 'pleasing' piece is the one that gets shared/wins? Or the 'music' is posted on a open forum and the class can 'vote' on them. Votes are then measured. Top entries are then used for remixing.

How to Grade Dave (version 1)!
1. Get transcript of Video or copy text
2. Put into https://p22.com/musicfont/
3. Save the MIDI file
4. Use http://solmire.com to convert to MP3
5. Upload to Soundcloud
6. Create a G+ poll and add a screen clip of something!
7. Get results!

Question after the activity:Well that was all about assessment really!
I had 5 responses to the poll - that's counting.
The counting part is easy, the interpretation is the killer! The poll answers didn't lean one way or another and were not 'designed' for any particular result apart from participation.

(A more serious) Counting Activity

Spark:Blackboard Social is enabled in the Learning Management System (LMS). An Education Develop recently asked me how I could quantify what is going on in Blackboard Social.

Questions behind the activity:
How could you 'grade'/count or measure the social presence of the students or staff?
How could you justify to the Faculties that this is a worthwhile task to promote (ie students setting up profiles)?
Is this the best tool to get students connected across Schools, Degrees and Universities.

Idea:
Overall numbers can be shown in the Blackboard Social area. Let's look at one particular space and analyse what is happening there.

It's a tool and it can be used. That's the only advise I can give an academic. How useful is it for social connections and other such questions....I'd have to say....use it and see. There are certain technology limitations (lack of notifications, lack of functions like adding media) that contribute to the lack of 'success' of these spaces. Maybe if one student has a question and they get an answer....that is success? Maybe if one student chats with another student....that is success?

April 17, 2015

Build learning subjectives: How do we design our own or others learning when we don’t know where we are going? How does that free us up? What can we get done with subjectives that can’t be done with objectives?

My gut feel here is that the first place we go to is our history. My history in MOOC's is to set objectives in one of these 3 boxes lurking/parts-of-interest/complete-it-all-get-the-badges. However from my last MOOC #HumanMOOC, I set the bar quite low....lurking...and ended up moving into parts-of-interest.I'm quite comfortable with the Week 0 'mess' - sniff around, check out the tools, connect with others. I've already chosen my method of blogging (this one) and while I don't normally do Facebook for study, I'll keep my eye on that. Twitter will also be an active tool for me.

I think that if we look at the SUBJECTives (ie me) then we can set some goals from that stand-point. My Subjectives for this course (learning experience) is:

I'm open to learn

I'm open to connect with others and increase my PLN

I will connect this learning for my benefit to my future career vision

Plan A: Go with the flow - see how it pans out - take each day as it comes - assimilate new knowledge and move forward as that knowledge becomes available.